KNUT top organ meets amid curriculum row, interdictions

Loltulelei Primary School in Samburu central which has caught the attention of well-wishers due its worrying conditions. The school is one of the few in the county with high population of 840 pupils. It has few classrooms which are very dilapidated. Walls are made of posts which most have already fallen and no longer holding the roofs posing danger to pupils. [Michael Saitoti, Standard]

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is expected to make a major announcement today as its top decision-making organ meets to deliberate on the new curriculum and the fate of interdicted teachers.

The Standard established that top of the agenda during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting is the plight of 221 teachers interdicted for failing to attend training on the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

KNUT had resisted the training even after the Education ministry had warned there is no turning back.

The Employment and Labuor Relations Court suspended the interdiction of the teachers who were facing disciplinary action for failing to attend training.

Disciplinary action

In his ruling, Justice Byrum Ongaya ordered the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) not to take any disciplinary action against its employees for missing the training until the case filed by KNUT is determined.

“The purported disciplinary action meted out by the respondent is in bad faith, intended mainly to settle scores which the respondent holds against the applicant and its members, with the real intention being to undermine the activities and strength of the trade union through targeting its members and sending panic among them,” KNUT had argued.

The teachers received show-cause letters on April 25 and thereafter notified of their interdiction on May 3, 2019.

The teachers from Kisii, Machakos, Makueni, Kilifi, Kwale, Kakamega, Vihiga and Bungoma were given 21 days to defend themselves. This means they had until May 26 to defend themselves in writing or get fired.

TSC accused its employees of insubordination, misconduct and incitement during the CBC training across the country.

Sources at the union however revealed KNUT’s leadership has been embarrassed by the turn of events with claims they have failed to protect teachers as TSC stood firm.

Secretary General Wilson Sossion yesterday downplayed the meeting even as insiders said pressure is mounting on the leadership to protect the teachers.

“It is mid-year and this is just a normal meeting, nothing special,” said Sossion.

The union is reported to have organised two meetings. The NEC meeting will be followed by another one by the Advisory Council.

The two meetings will give direction on the issues that have been in contention between the union and Ministry of Education.

Last month, Sossion directed the teachers to boycott the CBC training, saying due process was not followed when the ministry was mounting the programme.

Sossion has also directed KNUT members not to teach the new curriculum and vowed to fight its rollout.

“CBC has already died and teachers will not defend it unless proper process is followed,” said Sossion.

KNUT Deputy Secretary General Hesbon Otieno said NEC would give direction on key issues affecting the union.

“We will be advised on the key matters which you are well aware of and we shall implement them,” said Otieno.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has maintained the CBC rollout will continue despite opposition from the union.

In a recent speech, Magoha said the launch of the Curriculum Policy was a clear indication that the Government was not going back on the process of implementing the CBC.

“I wish to assure the public we will do everything to ensure we do not drop the ball in CBC implementation. No amount of opposition, real or imagined, will make us back-pedal on implementing the new curriculum,” he said.

The ministry’s resolve was emboldened by allocation of Sh2.4 billion by the National Assembly Education Committee towards implementation of CBC.

The money will be used to train teachers among other functions.

Strong signal

Another strong signal for the implementation was the move by Magoha to appoint a nine-member committee to prepare for August’s curriculum reforms conference.

The team, to be chaired by Kenya Institute of Childhood Development chairperson Sara Ruto, includes John Kimotho, Reuben Thamburi, Ann Ngatia, Ruth Mugambi, Mary Gaturu, Silvester Mulambe, David Njengere and Samuel Siringi.

And this week, a team of about 100 experts concluded monitoring teaching and understanding of the new curriculum in public schools across the country.

The officials, from Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and other Government agencies, are conducting impromptu visits to schools across 18 counties to assess implementation of the new curriculum.

But yesterday, it emerged that KNUT’s NEC meetings may issue a stern notice to TSC and Ministry of Education after weeks of protracted of battles over implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum.  

[email protected]